Education Law

Curb Germs with National Handwashing Awareness Week 2009 (December 6- 12)

Follow with BoardBuzz for just a moment and picture the happenings with this story: Three groups of children are in three separate classrooms carrying on with regular daily activities. Two toys are introduced into two of these rooms in the morning, each of which is contaminated with a different ?germ,? and the toys are removed at the end of the day. But the germs remain, and in fact, they spread to other toys, windows, doors, and across the rooms to various locations. And the germs follow kids home, landing on car seats, rims of tubs, and even on beds! The next day, some children return to class with these germs still on their hands.

Researchers who conducted this study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases with findings described above tracked planted cauliflower cell DNA markers, not actual germs, but the implications are the same. Germs spread, and they can often do so very easily.

What?s the single best way to prevent infection and illness according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)?  Handwashing! National Handwashing Awareness Week, an event sponsored by Henry the Hand Foundation, is celebrated December 6-12, 2009.

Though good handwashing can kick germs and potentially complicating infections like the H1N1 flu virus to the curb, it is not readily practiced. A 2007 Harris Interactive Inc. survey of the general public reveals that 12 percent of women and 34 percent of men do not wash their hands after using a public restroom. Fewer people self-report handwashing after use of the bathroom at home, before handling and eating food, or after coughing or sneezing. With kids and their developing hygiene behaviors, BoardBuzz knows there?s a lot of room for improvement ? and it takes positive adult role modeling, from both parents and school personnel alike so that students can foster lifelong healthy habits.

And handwashing is simple. It is something that can be done in just a few steps. As the CDC suggests, first you wet your hands with clean running water and apply soap (warm water is preferable). Then you rub hands together and make a lather to scrub all surfaces for at least 15-20 seconds. Singing a tune while handwashing may help, too.  Finally, you rinse your hands well under running water. Paper towels or an air dryer can be used afterwards to dry your hands, where you can use a paper towel to turn off the faucet. If soap and clean water are not available, try an alcohol-based hand rub to clean hands.

More tips from Henry the Hand Foundation include: 1) Wash your hands when they are dirty and before eating; 2) Do not cough into your hands; 3) Do not sneeze into your hands; and 4) Do not put your fingers in your eyes, nose or mouth.

National Handwashing Awareness Week is a great opportunity for schools to highlight the importance of keeping hands clean. Schools can also partner with other organizations in the community, such as hospitals and health clinics to widely reinforce attention to good handwashing.

There are several resources available to help schools better educate their students on the importance of handwashing. The School Network for Absenteeism Prevention (SNAP) website, for instance, offers a free educational poster and toolkit that help incorporate clean-hands education into middle school curricula.

But even with all the buzz of the flu season and with winter nearly upon us, it?s essential that schools promote good handwashing year-round and develop programming and recognition to make it fun and something kids ? and school personnel – want to do.

P.S. BoardBuzz wants you to just think of those pesky cauliflower germs and be sure to lather up!

Full post as published by BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog on December 04, 2009 (boomark / email).